When I Was Cruel

When I Was Cruel
Studio album by Elvis Costello
Released	23 April 2002
Recorded	2001–2002
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	62:53
Label	Island, Mercury
Producer	Elvis Costello, Ciaran Cahill, Leo Pearson, Kieran Lynch
Elvis Costello chronology
The Very Best of Elvis Costello (2001) When I Was Cruel (2002) Cruel Smile (2002)

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	76/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Blender	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	A[4]
The Guardian	[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
NME	6/10[7]
Pitchfork Media	8.0/10[8]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Spin	7/10[11]

When I Was Cruel is Elvis Costello's 19th album, recorded in 2001 and 2002 and released in the US by Island Records on 23 April 2002. The album includes the hits "45" and "15 Petals".

Although formally credited as solo Costello album, this was the first album to feature his new band, The Imposters. Their only difference from his previous band, The Attractions (active 1978-87, and 1994-96), was the replacement of bassist Bruce Thomas, with whom Costello had feuded, with Davey Faragher (formerly of Cracker).

Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello.

1. "45" – 3:33
2. "Spooky Girlfriend" – 4:22
3. "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" – 3:31
4. "When I Was Cruel No. 2" – 7:06 (featuring a sample from Mina's "Un bacio è troppo poco")
5. "Soul for Hire" – 3:55
6. "15 Petals" – 4:01
7. "Tart" – 4:03
8. "Dust 2..." – 3:21
9. "Dissolve" – 2:22
10. "Alibi" – 6:42
11. "...Dust" – 3:03
12. "Daddy Can I Turn This?" – 3:41
13. "My Little Blue Window" – 3:10
14. "Episode of Blonde" – 5:01
16. "Radio Silence" – 4:58

Personnel

• Elvis Costello – vocals, guitars, horn arrangements on 6 11 14, melodica, cymbal, bass, piano, harmonica
• Steve Nieve – organ, pianet, piano, vibraphone, melodica, filters
• Davey Faragher – bass, handclaps
• Pete Thomas – drums, handclaps, percussion, shaker, tambourine

Additional personnel

• Steven Kennedy – backing vocals on 1 12 13
• Leo Pearson – electric tabla on 3, rhythm processor on 5 8, tambourine, mixing
• Bill Ware – vibraphone on 4
• Ku-umba Frank Lacy – trumpet on 6, flugelhorn on 11 14
• Curtis Fowlkes – trombone on 6 11 14
• Jay Rodriguez – tenor saxophone on 6 11 14
• Roy Nathanson – alto saxophone on 6 11 14

Trivia

• The song "45" is about being 45 years old, like Costello at the time it was written. (The song also features Costello's penchant for multiple meanings, referencing the year 1945, .45 caliber pistols, and 45 rpm records.)

• The idea and title of "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)" came from a set of Engrish-laden dolls in Japan. It appears in the 2003 film The Shape of Things. The Bangles covered it as the title track on their 2003 album, Doll Revolution.

• When the album was released, promotional materials billed it as Costello's "FIRST LOUD ALBUM SINCE 199?".

Charts

Album

References

External links

• Review by Connor Ratliff (5/5)